Shuri Interview on Fresh Air
by edvogel56
Summary: Shuri visits with Terry Gross ahead of her outreach mission to the US


**Shuri Interview on Fresh Air**

By: edvogel56

An NPR Fresh Air interview with Shuri . I have no affiliation with Fresh Air or NPR

Rated: Fiction K - English - Parody

This is Fresh Air! I'm Terry Gross. My guest today is visiting from Wakanda in her role leading the Wakandan School for Alternative Studies. Shuri, welcome to Fresh Air.

Thanks for having me.

And also welcome to the United States. This is your first visit?

Physically, yes. I have remoted a couple of times to support my brother T'Challa during diplomatic missions.

He is in New York this afternoon to address the United Nations, why not just remote in again?

I wanted pizza for lunch Terry and Ray's tastes better in person.

Of course. You are also here on an educational outreach mission of your own. Tell us about the Wakandan School for Alternative Studies.

The purpose of the school is to help young people with special abilities, explore and use those abilities. A proper education in mathematics is very important.

So, calculus and algebra, eqautions on a chalkboard? Put a man on the moon? That sort of thing?

Oh,no! Not that. Well, certainly not chalkboards. I am talking about Discrete Mathematics; recognition of patterns, appreciation of shapes and graphically correlating ideas.

Can you offer a concrete example?

Yes but this concrete example illuminates absract ideas.

I don't know if that's the concrete I am looking for but let's hear it.

Better I show you. This is the Soma Cube.

For our listeners who aren't able to see into the WHYY studio, Shuri is holding a multi colored cube in her left hand.

The Soma Cube was born in Copenhagen as part of Werner Heisenberg's work on the Nazi nuclear bomb. It came to Wakanda via Ghana. My grand mother posed as math teacher at mission school there.

A spy in Ghana makes sense of course and Wakanda has spies in many places. Why not Denmark considering such an important time?

We did. Just not for this. Vibranium and uranium chemistry have much in common. Interestingly, the Soma Cube is an insight into the mathematics of chemistry.

OK but someone from Ghana was in Denmark?

I think that's a story for another time.

Next time you want Ray's Pizza for lunch?

Or shopping. Back to the Soma Cube. In Wakanda we play with several sets of Soma Cubes to make sculptures, spark discussion, write poetry, compose music and . . . .

That sounds really nerdy and goth at the same time.

Maybe it is and maybe it isn't Terry.

You said the Soma Cube was born. Most people say an idea is discovered or a thing is invented. Can you say more?

I'd rather show than tell.

Shuri has dropped the Soma Cube on to the table. I can see it has seven different shaped pieces. Each has the color of one of the six Infinity Stones plus a seventh piece with another color.

The seventh Infinity Stone color is a matter of discussion. The auburn shade is just what seems to make sense and fit models.

Abstraction to cement mixer and back?

True that, Terry.

We're coming up on a break. Before we go, can you tell listeners where they can find out more about the Soma Cube and . . . if I understand this correctly . . . make their own Soma Cube?

Oh, it isn't that hard Terry! Just some preordered wood pieces, super glue and crayons. It's not rocket science!

To you maybe. And it's nuclear science any way.

Only very abstractly. Much closer to chemistry.

I look forward to making my Soma Cube even if I don't "get it"

That's the spirit Terry! Here's the link!

id/BLOKL-20-or-SOMA-X-4-in-a-Pencil-Case/

For our listeners who want more information about the Soma Cube on social media there is also a FaceBook Group:

groups/1503493129685016/

We're back from our break and Shuri has "left the building" ... literally. It was very surprising for me. Shuri seemed to be completely at ease with the situation. We are all hoping for the best of course at WHYY and look forward to talking to Shuri again soon.

Next week on Fresh Air . . . .


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